Sunday, March 29, 2009

Lena Katina (Elena Sergeevna Katina) Date of birth: October 4, 1984 Place of birth: Moscow Parents: Inessa Katina and Sergey Katin (a musician) Brothers and sisters: Lena has two younger siblings, her sister Katya, and a half brother From an early age, Lena was involved in sports and musical activities. When she was around 8 years old, she was enrolled in music school (in addition to "normal" school life) and studied playing the piano from 1992-1999. Lena likes ice-skating, gymnastics, tennis, swimming and horseback riding. She is also an avid reader of books. Career in music: Children's group "Avenue"; children's group "Neposedy" where she met Yulia and became friends with her. "Tatu" (casting in 1999, Yulia passed the casting as well). Lena is a student of psychology at Moscow University (2001-).

Yulia Volkova (Yulia Olegovna Volkova) Date of birth: February 20, 1985 Place of birth: Moscow Parents: Larissa Volkova and Oleg Volkov (a businessman) Brothers and sisters: Yulia is an only child. Additionally to "normal" school life, Yulia started to learn how to play the piano at a music school, when she was around 8 years old (1993-2000). When she was 11 years old, she changed schools - instead of the "normal" school life, the focus of her education was now on artistic expression (1996-2000). When she was around 15, she started vocal studies (jazz) at "Gnessin State Musical College" (ca. 2000). Yulia's sports activities included tennis, ice-skating, ballroom dancing and swimming. She played a few small TV roles ("Eralash") while in "Neposedy". Yulia is a natural blonde and dyes her hair black. Career in music: Children's group "Neposedy" where she met Lena who joined the group later. "Tatu" (casting in 1999, Lena had passed the casting shortly before her). On September 23, 2004, Yulia gave birth to a daughter: Viktoria (or Vika for short) Volkova. She is no longer with Vika's father, Pavel Sidorov. Her second child, a son, was born on December 27, 2007. The father is young Russian businessman Parviz Yasinov.

The Cathedral of Intercession of the Virgin on the Moat (Russian: Собор Покрова что на Рву - The Cathedral of the Protection of the Mother of God, or simply Pokrovskiy Cathedral - Russian: Покровский Собор; better known as the Cathedral of Saint Basil the Blessed , Saint Basil's Cathedral - Russian: Храм Василия Блаженного) is a multi-tented church on the Red Square in Moscow that also features distinctive onion domes. It is very often mistaken by Westerners for the Kremlin, whose buildings are in fact situated across the square from the cathedral. Arguably the most recognized building in Russia, it is an international symbol for the nation and for the city of Moscow.The cathedral was commissioned by Ivan IV (also known as Ivan the Terrible) in Moscow to commemorate the capture of the Khanate of Kazan, and built from 1555 to 1561. In 1588 TsarFedor Ivanovich had a chapel added on the eastern side above the grave of Basil Fool for Christ (yurodivy Vassily Blazhenny), a Russian Orthodoxsaint after whom the cathedral was popularly named.Saint Basil's is located at the southeast end of Red Square, just across from the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin. Not particularly large, it consists of nine chapels built on a single foundation. The cathedral's design follows that of contemporary tented churches, notably those of Ascension in Kolomenskoye (1530) and of St John the Baptist's Decapitation in Dyakovo (1547).The interior of the cathedral is a collection of separate chapels, each filled with beautiful icons, medieval painted walls, and varying artwork on the top inside of the domes. The feeling is intimate and varied, in contrast to Western cathedrals which usually consist of a massive nave with one artistic style.

In a garden at the front of the cathedral stands a bronze statue commemorating Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, who rallied Russia's volunteer army against the Polish invaders during the Time of Troubles in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.The initial concept was to build a cluster of chapels, one dedicated to each of the saints on whose feast day the tsar had won a battle, but the construction of a single central tower unifies these spaces into a single cathedral. A popular historical legend says that Ivan had the architect, Postnik Yakovlev, blinded to prevent him from building a more magnificent building for anyone else. In fact, Postnik Yakovlev built a number of churches after Saint Basil's, including one in Kazan'.

Climate:ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Parliament Hill (colloquially The Hill, in French: Colline du Parlement) is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings – the parliament buildings – serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada, and contains a number of architectural elements of national symbolic importance. Parliament Hill attracts approximately 3 million visitors each year.[1]Originally the site of a military base in the 18th and early 19th centuries, development of the site into a governmental precinct began in 1859, after Bytown was chosen by Queen Victoria as the capital of the Province of Canada. Following a number of extensions to the parliament and departmental buildings, and a fire in 1916 that destroyed the Centre Block, Parliament Hill took on its present form with the completion of the Peace Tower in 1927. Since 2002, an extensive $1 billion renovation and rehabilitation project has been underway throughout all of the precinct's buildings; work is not expected to be complete until after 2020.Parliament Hill (colloquially The Hill, in French: Colline du Parlement) is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings – the parliament buildings – serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada, and contains a number of architectural elements of national symbolic importance. Parliament Hill attracts approximately 3 million visitors each year.[1]Originally the site of a military base in the 18th and early 19th centuries, development of the site into a governmental precinct began in 1859, after Bytown was chosen by Queen Victoria as the capital of the Province of Canada. Following a number of extensions to the parliament and departmental buildings, and a fire in 1916 that destroyed the Centre Block, Parliament Hill took on its present form with the completion of the Peace Tower in 1927. Since 2002, an extensive $1 billion renovation and rehabilitation project has been underway throughout all of the precinct's buildings; work is not expected to be complete until after 2020.

There can be no doubt that the most famous detective know on earth is Sherlock Holmes! Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson lived at 221b Baker Street between 1881-1904, according to the many stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and you can now visit his famous study overlooking Baker Street at the Sharlock Holmes Museum. In "The Headed League," Holmes remarks to Watson, "It is a hobby of mine to have an exact knowledge of London." So, let's take a look at London through the eyes and times of Sharlock Holmes... Over the years, many businesses along Baker Street have tried to create a connection with the detective and Holmes's fictional address 221b Baker Street. Some businesses such as the dry cleaner's and a bank have even posted "historical plaques" on their properties not fa from the Baker Street Underground station. You may find it strange that visitors stand there, looking at the imaginary address of an imaginary person! However, Sherlock Holmes has taken on a reality that very few other fictional characters have.

The Sherlock Holmes Museum has a full-time employee answering 40 to 100 letters and requests a week addressed to Sherlock! The Museum's souvenir shop is the largest shop in the world specialising in Holmesian items such as walking sticks, deerstalker hats, pipes, chess sets and hundreds of other items. Holmes's 221b Baker Street is perhapsmore famous than another London address, No.10 Downing Street. When you first arrive in Sherlock's "area" at Baker Street station, you notice many pictures of him smoking his famous pipe on the walls, but wait until you get outside, where a nine-foot bronze statue will welcome you!(The picture above!! I took it when I went to London!!!XD) This statue of Holmes was put up in September 1999, decades after it was first suggested. If you walk around central London, you will find many of the places mentioned in the stories and will almost believe Sherlock and Watson were real! For example, opposite the Eros statue in Piccadilly Circus is the Criterion Bar, where Watson first heard Sherlock's name mentioned. Watson heard he was an eccentric man, studying at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, who needed a roommate. Then walk on to the Charing Cross Hotel and you can stand near the spot where Holmes caught a spy, where Watson banked and where, just across the street, they sent off urgent telegrams. Therefore , although we think of Baker Street when we think of Holmes, you might actually find him hiding around any corner in London!

Interesting things you never knew about the London EyeA TEAM EFFORTIt took seven years and the skills of hundreds of people from five countries to make the London Eye a realityA VIEW FIT FOR A QUEENYou can see around 40KM (25 miles) from the top as far as Windsor Castle on a clear dayFLYING HIGHThe London Eye welcomes an average of 3.5 million customers every year. You would need 6,680 fully booked British Airways Boeing 747-400 jumbo jets to move that number of fliers!DING! DING!The London Eye can carry 800 passengers per revolution - equivalent to 11 London red doubled-decker busesHEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONEach of the 32 capsules weighs 10 tonnes. To put that figure into perspective, it's the same weight as 1,052,631 pound coins!SLOWLY BUT SURELYEach rotation takes about 30 minutes, meaning a capsule travels at a stately 26cm per second, or 0.9km (0.6 miles) per hour - twice as fast as a tortoise sprinting; allowing passengers to step on and off without the wheel having to stopTHE ONLY WAY IS UPThe circumference of the wheel is 424m (1.392ft) - meaning that if it were unravelled, it would be 1.75 times longer than the UK's tallest building - One Canada Square in Canary WharfTONNES OF FUNThe total weight of the wheel and capsules is 2,100 tonnes - or as much as 1,272 London black cabs!UP, UP AND AWAYThe height of the London Eye is 135m (equivalent to 64 red telephone boxes piled on top of each other) making it the fourth tallest structure in London after the BT Tower, Tower 42 and One Canada Square in Canary WharfBLAST OFFThe spindle holds the wheel structure and the hub rotates it around the spindle. At 23 meters tall, the spindle is around the size of a church spire and, together with the hub, weighs in at 330 tonnes: over 20 times heavier than Big Ben

Extra notes Except on special or arranged occasions, visitors are unable to walk amongst the stones

Did you know...

●Stonehenge was constructed in three phases.●It has been estimated that the three phases of the construction required more than thirty million hours of labour.●Speculation on the reason it was built range from human sacrifice to astronomy.

More About It

Stonehenge is probably the most important prehistoric monument in the whole of Britain and has attracted visitors from earliest times. It stands as a timeless monument to the people who built it.The stonehenge that we see today is the final stage that was completed about 3500 years ago, but first let us look back 5000 years.

The First StageThe first Stonehenge was a large earthwork or Henge, comprising a ditch, bank, and the Aubrey holes, all probably built around 3100 BC. The Aubrey holes are round pits in the chalk, about one metre wide and deep, with steep sides and flat bottoms. They form a circle about 284 feet in diameter. Excavations have revealed cremated human bones in some of the chalk filling, but the holes themselves were probably made, not for the purpose of graves, but as part of the religious ceremony. Shortly after this stage Stonehenge was abandoned, left untouched for over 1000 years.

The Second StageThe Arrival of the BluestonesThe second and most dramatic stage of Stonehenge started around 2150 BC. Some 82 bluestones from the Preseli mountains, in south-west Wales were transported to the site. It is thought these stones, some weighing 4 tonnes each were dragged on rollers and sledges to the headwaters on Milford Haven and then loaded onto rafts. They were carried by water along the south coast of Wales and up the rivers Avon and Frome, before being dragged overland again to near Warminster in Wiltshire. The final stage of the journey was mainly by water, down the river Wylye to Salisbury, then the Salisbury Avon to west Amesbury.This astonishing journey covers nearly 240 miles. Once at the site, these stones were set up in the centre to form an incomplete double circle. ( During the same period the original entrance of the circular earthwork was widened and a pair of Heel Stones were erected. Also the nearer part of the Avenue was built, aligned with the midsummer sunrise.)

Third StageThe third stage of Stonehenge, about 2000 BC, saw the arrival of the Sarsen stones, which were almost certainly brought from the Marlborough Downs near Avebury, in north Wiltshire, about 25 miles north of Stonehenge. The largest of the Sarsen stones transported to Stonehenge weigh 50 tonnes and transportation by water would have been impossible, the stones could only have been moved using sledges and ropes. Modern calculations show that it would have taken 500 men using leather ropes to pull one stone, with an extra 100 men needed to lay the huge rollers in front of the sledge.These were arranged in an outer circle with a continuous run of lintels. Inside the circle, five trilithons were placed in a horseshoe arrangement, whose remains we can still see today.

The Final StageThe final stage took place soon after 1500 BC when the bluestones were rearranged in the horseshoe and circle that we see today. The original number of stones in the bluestone circle was probably around 60, these have long since been removed or broken up. Some remain only as stumps below ground level.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

The impact of the Beatles has often been noted but cannot be overstated. The “Fab Four” from Liverpool, England, startled the ears and energized the lives of virtually all who heard them. Their arrival triggered the musical revolution of the Sixties, introducing a modern sound and viewpoint that parted ways with the world of the previous decade. The pleasurable jolt at hearing “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” - given the doldrums into which rock and roll had fallen in recent years - was comparable to the collective fever induced by Presley’s “That’s All Right (Mama)” and “Heartbreak Hotel” nearly ten years earlier.

The Beatles’ music - with its simultaneous refinement (crisp harmonies, solid musicianship, canny pop instincts) and abandon (energetic singing and playing, much screaming and shaking of mop-topped locks) – ignited the latent energy of youth on both sides of the Atlantic. They helped confer self-identity upon a youthful, music-based culture that flexed its muscle in myriad ways - not just as music consumers but also as a force for political expression, social commentary and contemporary lifestyles...

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is made up of four countries - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - which behave as one nation on an international level. The UK does not include (southern) Ireland. Great Britain is the island that includes England, Scotland and Wales.

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch.[1] Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal entertaining, and a major tourist attraction. It has been a rallying point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and crisis.Originally known as Buckingham House, the building which forms the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 and acquired by George III in 1761[2] as a private residence, known as "The Queen's House". It was enlarged over the next 75 years, principally by architectsJohn Nash and Edward Blore, forming three wings around a central courtyard. Buckingham Palace finally became the official royal palace of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. The last major structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the present-day public face of Buckingham Palace.The original early 19th-century interior designs, many of which still survive, included widespread use of brightly coloured scagliola and blue and pink lapis, on the advice of Sir Charles Long. King Edward VII oversaw a partial redecoration in a Belle epoque cream and gold colour scheme. Many smaller reception rooms are furnished in the Chineseregency style with furniture and fittings brought from the Royal Pavilion at Brighton and from Carlton House following the death of King George IV. The Buckingham Palace Garden is the largest private garden in London, originally landscaped by Capability Brown, but redesigned by William Townsend Aiton of Kew Gardens and John Nash. The artificial lake was completed in 1828 and is supplied with water from the Serpentine, a river which runs through Hyde Park.The state rooms form the nucleus of the working Palace and are used regularly by Queen Elizabeth II and members of the royal family for official and state entertaining. Buckingham Palace is one of the world's most familiar buildings and more than 50,000 people visit the palace each year as guests to banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and the royal garden parties.

The BBC radio services began in 1922. Which was licensed under pressure to provide a radio service for the British public. It was licensed by the British Government through its [General Post Office] which had original control of the airwaves because they had been interpreted under law as an extension of the Post Office services. Today radio broadcasting still makes up a large part of the corporation's output and this is still reflected in the title of the BBC's listings magazine called '[Radio Times]'.

Friday, March 6, 2009

France has several major rivers. The Seine, in northern France, drains much of the Paris Basin and flows northwest into the Atlantic Ocean. The Seine’s even flow is well suited to navigation, and the river is an important water route to and from Paris. The Loire rises in the Massif Central, flows west across the southern portion of the Paris Basin, and enters the Atlantic Ocean at the Bay of Biscay. The Loire’s water level fluctuates greatly, and floods are frequent. Stretching more than 1,000 km (620 mi), the Loire is the longest river in France. The Garonne rises in the Pyrenees and flows north, draining much of the Aquitane Basin. The Dordogne rises in the Massif Central and flows west, joining the Garonne to form the Gironde estuary, just before the Atlantic. These four great rivers all lie entirely within French territory.Major rivers with some sources outside of France include the Rhône, the great river of the Mediterranean region of France. The Rhône rises in Switzerland, joins the Saône at Lyon, and crosses the Languedoc Plain en route to the Mediterranean Sea. Draining the French Alps region, the Rhône is the largest river in France measured in terms of volume of discharge. The Rhine, which is one of the world’s most important inland waterways, rises in the Swiss Alps and flows northwest, forming part of France’s eastern boundary. The river then travels through Germany and the Netherlands before entering the North Sea. The Meuse traverses northeastern France and passes through Belgium and the Netherlands before also emptying into the North Sea.An extensive network of canals connects the major rivers with each other and with other river and canal systems. Nearly all of France’s more than 200 streams are commercially navigable for varying distances. France has only a few lakes. Lake Geneva (also known as Lake Leman), situated along the Franco-Swiss border, lies mainly in Switzerland.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

French art

For practical purposes, the history of French art has been divided into a series of separate articles accessible through the template to the right. The template also gives direct access to French art category indexes, such as alphabetical lists of painters or sculptors. To locate artists from a particular period or art movement, the relatively comprehensive manual list of painters and artistic movements in chronological order is recommended. In addition to a brief historic overview, some supplementary or general material is included on this page, including art vocabulary and general French art references.French art consists of the visual and plastic arts (including architecture, woodwork, textiles, and ceramics) originating from the geographical area of France. Historical surveys of French art typically begin with Pre-Romanesque art, Romanesque art, and Gothic art, but some surveys, such as André Chastel's French Art, include discussions of prehistoric art, Celtic art, and Roman art within France.

The Middle AgesDuring the forty-three-year reign of Philippe Auguste (1180–1223), the power and influence of the French monarchy grew considerably, both inside and outside the kingdom. In 1190, a rampart was built around Paris, which was Europe’s biggest city at the time. To protect the capital from the Anglo-Norman threat, the king decided to reinforce its defenses with a fortress, which came to be known as the Louvre. It was built to the west of the city, on the banks of the Seine.

From the Louvre to the TuileriesThe demolition of the Grosse Tour marked the beginning of a new phase of building work that would continue through to the reign of Louis XIV. The transformation of François I’s château continued under Henri II and his sons. However, the construction of the Tuileries palace some 500 meters to the west led to a rethinking of the site. Ambitious royal plans to link the two buildings culminated in the creation of the Grande Galerie.

The Classical PeriodThe reigns of Louis XIII and Louis XIV had a major impact on the Louvre and Tuileries palaces. The extension of the west wing of the Cour Carrée under Louis XIII marked the beginning of an ambitious program of work that would be completed by Louis XIV and added to by Louis XV, resulting in the Louvre that we see today. However, following the completion of Versailles, royal interest in the palace waned, plunging the Louvre into a new period of dormancy.

From Palace to MuseumWith the Revolution, the Louvre entered a phase of intensive transformation. For three years, Louis XVI lived in the Tuileries palace, alongside the Convention Nationale. In 1793 the Museum Central des Arts opened to the public in the Grande Galerie and the Salon Carré, from where the collections gradually spread to take over the building. Anne of Austria’s apartments housed the antique sculpture galleries, and further rooms and exhibition spaces were opened under Charles X.

The Grand LouvreThe demolition of the Tuileries in 1882 marked the birth of the modern Louvre. The palace ceased to be the seat of power and was devoted almost entirely to culture. Only the Finance Ministry, provisionally installed in the Richelieu wing after the Commune, remained. Slowly but surely, the museum began to take over the whole of the vast complex of buildings.

Paris was conquered by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, and existed as a regional center under the Romans.

Everybody knows there is a beautiful tower in Paris. The beautiful tower is Eiffel Tower. Designed by Gustav Eiffel, a bridge builder, the tower is around 300 metres tall and has viewing platforms at several levels. The tower weighs over 7,000 tons, has 12,000 metal sections and 2,500,000 rivets.

Amazing views of Paris from the top level. Anyone begging or trying to sell you anything at the bottom of the tower is probably an illegal immigrant, just be prepared for a little hassling from these people, but they run away when the cops come. Also there is long lines to get up the tower in summer.

If you visit France next time, don't forget to visit Paris, and the beautiful Eiffel Tower, too.

Fashion weeksThe Paris Fashion week takes place twice a year after the London Fashion Week and before Milan Fashion Week. Dates are determined by the French Fashion Federation. Currently, the Fashion Week is held in the Carrousel du Louvre.

Ingredients :Makes 8 individual cakes200 g of dark chocolaet, 60% 8 squares of the same chocolate220 g of butter160 g of caster sugar120 g of flour4 eggsDirection :Preheat the oven at a temperature of 425°F (220°or th7)Melt the chocolate as quickly as possible in a bain marie and add the butter. Remove from heat and leave it to cool.Whisk together both the eggs and the sugar until the mixture becomes a light yellow coulour. Add the flour and mix it with a spatula. Then fold in the chocolate.Fill several flexopan or teflon molds halfway.Place a chocolate square on top of each cake and then fill every mold with the chocolate batter.Cook for 15 min and then wait another 15 min before unmolding them.This recipe has one great advantage when compared to other recipes: These cakes may be eaten hot or cold. Therefore, you may cook them in advance and reheat them in a microwave oven when it is time for dessert. You can also make other variations, for example you may buy 8 chocolate truffes and place them in the freezer for 1 hour. You can put these in the cakes instead of the chocolate squares. You may also put white chocolate squares instead, etc�Just one last comment: All food lovers may thank Michel Bras and his pastry chef for having created this dessert after having made several experiments and given it several tries in their Laguiole restaurant. This dessert has now become a part of France's culinary heritage.